CNET Update

Facebook turns 10, copies Paper app name

As the social network hits a decade milestone, it launches a new app with a familiar name. Also, Aereo expands its streaming TV service and Flappy Bird drives everyone mad.

2:52 / 4 February 2014

Transcript

It's time to try a new Facebook app to read more Facebook.
I'm Bridget Carey and this is your CNET Update.
As Facebook is turning 10 years old, it seems like it was yesterday when college grads freaked out about the network opening access to their parents.
And not long after, everyone was deleting their keg party pictures, because suddenly, the site was being used for job hunting.
After a decade and 1.23 billion
users later, Facebook is being used by an entirely different generation that has grown up with smartphone messaging apps.
To avoid fading from existence like MySpace and Friendster, Facebook is putting the focus on becoming more of a utility for content on your phone instead of just a place to message your friends.
On Monday, it launched a separate app called Paper.
It displays your Facebook feed as well as articles from major news outlets.
The Facebook Paper app launched to positive reviews, but not
everyone's happy with Paper especially the original well-known app called Paper that lets you sketch on your iPad.
Yes, the company behind the original Paper app wrote a blog post calling Facebook a bully by taking their established app name.
The original Paper app is so well-known that in 2012 it was named as the best app of the year by Apple.
In other news, the online television service Aereo is expanding to San Antonio this month bringing the service to a total of 12 metro areas.
Aereo is a cheap subscription service.
It starts at $8 a month and it lets you stream over the air broadcast channels to your computer, your tablet, even your big screen TV using something like an Apple TV.
It also lets you record TV shows.
Last week, Aereo sold out of capacity for New York City.
Seems there was a rush of people signing up to watch the Super Bowl and Winter Olympics.
Aereo is fighting legal battles against media companies that claimed the video service is infringing on their copyrights by providing these broadcast
signals.
There's a new smartphone game obsession and unless you enjoy being driven insane with frustration, then I recommend staying away from Flappy Bird.
It's a simple concept of tapping your finger with the right timing to avoid having your bird hit a pipe, a pipe that looks like it's from Super Mario Bros.
But it is quite hard.
The free app has skyrocket to popularity last week on iOS and android even though it's been around since May of 2013.
This mindless game serves no point
and it will suck you in with the belief that maybe you could figure it out.
But while you keep trying nothing of value will be accomplished in your day, you've been warned.
That's your tech news update, but you can get more details at cnet.com/update.
From our studios in New York, I'm Bridget Carey.

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